IN AN increasingly globalised world, it is next to impossible to overlook the challenges posed by external forces, especially in a borderless stream of modernisation.

These challenges to our national consciousness began after the arrival of Western powers to the East in the 16th Century. Our forefathers managed to preserve their cultural and national iden-tity, while a host of unwelcome elements brought by the Western colonisers spread throughout the region.

In Brunei Darussalam, the main defences that were used to safeguard our culture and national identity have been the values enshrined in our national philosophy of Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB).

SULTAN Muhammad Shah adopted the Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) as a governmental and authoritative foundation in the Brunei Empire in the 1360s. With MIB as the bedrock of the country’s philosophical and spiritual values, combined with his skilled leadership and the loyal support of his followers, it became the driving force in Brunei’s glorious expansion from the early 15th Century to the 17th Century.

Brunei continued its regional prominence during the reign of the third Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Sharif Ali (1425-1432). He was an Islamic scholar from Ta’if (Hejaz, South Arabia) and it was believed that he was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), through the lineage of Sayyidina Hassan, the Prophet’s grandson.

Brunei’s geographical location was an added advantage, being in the epicentre of the Southeast Asian trade route, allowing her t…

ARCHEOLOGICAL sources point to the existence of MIB coming to the tiny country of Brunei, then still known to the world as Po-ni, approximately more than 600 years ago. The concept itself was established by Awang Alak Betatar, the monarch in power at the time, in 1368 AD and later practised by his lineage till present day. Stated in Datu Imam Yaakup’s version of The Genealogy of Brunei Kings “The the first government to bring Islam into the Brunei government administration under the syariat of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the government of Paduka Seri Sultan Muhammad Shah”, the Muslim name bestowed upon Awang Alak Betatar when he converted to Islam following his marriage to the Princess of Johor, which we now refer to as ancient Singapore.

This article will focus on the beginning of MIB and how it became the …

BEFORE the 17th century, Brunei was a vast empire, and arguably the most influential in the centre of the South China Sea, with regions stretching as far as the present-day Philippines and parts of Indonesia. Prior to the rise of the Srivijaya and Majapahit empires, and after the fall of Malacca to the Dutch in the early 16th century, Brunei was the premier destination for traders between China and the West.

However, as colonialism gained full force in the 18th and 19th centuries, Brunei fell under Western colonialism and had its territories slowly but surely wrested away from its control until our sovereign state was left with only a miniscule area of 2,226 square miles.

Our country managed to retain its Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB) identity, thanks to the tireless efforts of our forefathers. To better understand the signifi-c…

Permanent Secretaries and Deputies in Brunei Government (Updated 21 November 2016) as announced:

BY COMMAND of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced that His Majesty consented to the appointment of the following officers:

CONSUMER protection is an essential element of a healthy business ecosystem. It provides safeguards to consumers from unfair trade practices such as deception and misrepresentation, making false claims including publishing of false advertisement and any related matters.

This encourages honest business dealings and instills overall confidence in the market to support business growth.

In Brunei Darussalam, the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Order, 2011 (CPFTO) was enforced on January 1st, 2012 to provide the legal framework for consumers affected by unfair trade practices to have remedy through mediation.

The CPFTO protects consumer against any unfair practices by sellers. Unfair practices cover conducts such as: Deceiving or misleading consumers, such as hidden fees and surcharges, manipulation of measurement units, using small print to conceal terms …

THE Tourism Development Department under the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) yesterday officially appointed the Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies (CSPS) to carry out a study on ‘Updating The Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) and Passenger Exit Survey For Brunei Darussalam’ following the signing of a service agreement.

The survey, which will commence in December, will involve tourists at the Brunei International Airport as well as several immigration checkpoints around the country.

Signing the service agreement on behalf of the Tourism Development Department was Haji Mohd Zamree bin Haji Junaidi, the Director of Tourism Development under the MPRT, while CSPS was represented by Haji Mohd Rozan bin Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yunos, Executive Director of CSPS.

Present as guest of honour and to witness the signing was Wardi bin Haji Mohammad Ali, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Tourism) at the Ministry of…

US Navy and RBN conduct historic dives on wartime shipwreckon: November 18, 2016| James Kon |

ON JUNE 8, 1945 during preparations for amphibious landings in the Battle of Borneo, after clearing 143 mines from harbour entrances along the coast of Borneo, the USS Salute was struck by a Japanese mine and sunk to the bottom of Brunei Bay . Six crew members were killed and three went missing.

Recently US Navy divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) ONE teamed up with Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) personnel for a historic diving operation on the former USS Salute.

The diving operations were the first ever conducted by the US Navy on the wreckage of USS Salute, which rests at the bottom of the Brunei Bay, under 90 feet of water.

The operations involved divers embarked on the USNS Salvor (T-ARS-52), which was in Brunei for the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2016 Exercise.

The dives on the World War II minesweeper were preceded by a remembrance ceremony at the US Em…

US, Brunei military ties will continue to be close
on: November 15, 2016
| James Kon |

THROUGH 22 years of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Exercise, the military relationship between Brunei Darussalam and the United States is outstanding, and will continue to be close, said Rear Admiral Don Gabrielson, the Commander of Task Force 73, who is currently in the country for the joint exercise.

Rear Admiral Gabrielson was speaking to the local press yesterday, following the launching of the 22nd annual CARAT maritime drill at the Training Centre of the Royal Brunei Navy in Muara.

During the interview, Rear Admiral Gabrielson said, “CARAT is important for our 170-year-old relationship with Brunei, and these exercises are good for several things such as training maritime enforcement and the marine forces.

“In addition, the exercise is important in the building of new friendships for the future leaders of our militaries, so that they will continue to work toget…

KEEPING up the spirit of the Heart of Borneo Declaration, Brunei has been effectively managing its forest resources through commendable conservation efforts over the past years that have gained global recognition for the Sultanate.

Brunei Darussalam has also gained international acclaim for having bio-rich tropical rainforests, majority of which are still in pristine condition and protected by effective legislation, despite occupying just one per cent of the total forest in the island of Borneo.

Brunei Darussalam is among those countries with a leading forest area, according to Asia Development Bank (ADB).

According to ADB’s Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2016 (Key Indicators 2016) report published this week, Laos topped the list with a forest cover of 81.3 per cent followed by Bhutan (70 per cent), Brunei (70 per cent) and Papua New Guinea (70 per cent).

EARLIER this year, the National ICT White Paper and National ICT Manpower Masterplan were launched.

The White Paper and Masterplan were launched by the Ministry of Communications (MinCom) and the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) on February 4.

During the launch, AITI said in a statement that the National ICT White Paper was created to outline a strategic plan and programme for the implementation of ICT at a national level, to support the country’s aspirations for Vision 2035.

“The preparation of this White Paper focusses improvement efforts through initiatives that can be applied across the board over the six key sectors that include e-Government, energy, health, transportation, education and service.”

The National ICT White Paper was commissioned by MinCom and AITI to set the strategic direction for ICT in Brunei Darussalam for 2016–2020.

Delivering -a titah to thousands of youth from different backgrounds and organisations during an annual assembly to mark the 11th National Youth Day celebration at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas, the monarch also urged the country's youth to be relentless in investing time and energy for their own progression.

Touching on the theme for this year's celebration 'Visionary Youth: -Catalyst for Transformation', His Majesty said, "This should be embraced as a challenge. Transformation means bringing in an era of changes and opportunities for all, esp…